New York lawmakers revive dairy caucus

With milk prices at their lowest level in three decades, rural lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have decided to revive a congressional caucus to advocate for dairy farmers.

Reps. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., and Chris Lee, R-N.Y., are among the first members of the Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus, which was just registered with the House.

Congressional caucuses are officially recognized groups of lawmakers banded together behind a common cause or issue. Health concerns, from fitness to cystic fibrosis, are among the most popular topics, but the full list includes such divergent causes as rural education, passenger rail and bourbon. (Yes, bourbon).

The caucuses provide a platform for lawmakers to study issues that might not merit full hearings by House committees but are near and dear to their constituents. It also allows them to speak with one voice when pushing changes to legislation or federal policy.

The dairy caucus was on the rolls in the 110th Congress that ended in January, but it was just officially revived and registered with the House.

It is a natural for New Yorkers to focus on dairy issues — which also have drawn the attention of Democratic Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer. Milk is the Empire State’s top agricultural product, with milk sales accounting for about a half of New York’s total agricultural receipts.

But dairy producers have been hit hard by falling milk prices and high feed costs in recent years. Tom Wakefield, of the National Milk Producers Federation, told a congressional panel earlier this month that dairy farmers nationwide are facing “an unprecedented financial catastrophe.”

Dairy producers have been looking to Congress for help. Senators have responded by including $1 million in an agriculture spending bill for Cornell University to study agricultural policies that could benefit the sector in New York. Schumer and other senators also have been urging the U.S. Agriculture Department to boost price supports for milk producers.